Assassin's Creed: Salvation
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: On TEMPORARY HIATUS! What if Abstergo found the First Civilization Temple at the same time the Assassins did? What if Lucy never died? Could the fate of humanity be saved...while also preserving the life of Desmond Miles? REVIEWS are loved! :D (Contains some OCs later on) Begins in AC:B to end of AC:3. AU.
1. Bleeding Effect

_**Chapter One**_

Light, flutey music wafts through the air. The horizon is painted shades of red and yellow while the sun sinks over the rolling hills beyond Venice rooftops. A lone figure, crouched atop a roof garden, watches the enourmous star as it begins to fade into darkness.

If he squinted hard enough, he could almost make out the strange, blue-white fragments dancing through the air. A warning. If he were too get close enough to them...well...he wouldn't be there for long. It was the Animus's way of telling him the area wasn't 'important' so he shouldn't waste his time going there...

The man stands up and glances over his shoulder. A dark heap, stained red, lays on the roof behind him. "Requiescat en pace." The Italian mutters under his breath, just before nudging the dead guard over the edge onto a bustling city street.

Instantly, there is a high pitched scream when the dead man is discovered. Moments later, a chorus of men's voices override a group of terrified peasants'. "Who has done this?!" They demand, furiously. "Where is he?!"

And he was off. Ezio Auditore de Firenze could run like the wind. His feet easily finding places to land on the slippery terra cotta tiles. The Assassin's red and white cloak billows out behind him, his dark eyes scanning the rooftops for interferance.

"Assassino!" Someone barks behind him. And immediately, there is the sound of pursuit. Tiles are pulled free as Templars and guards scramble after him. They try to mimic his grace and ease on the run but to no avail. Constantly stumbling and even tripping, they are no match for his speed.

Ezio shakes his head, almost wearily when he suddenly changes course, leaping across a wide gap to the roof of another building. He lands heavily but that does not damage his lead in front of the guards. If anything, it dumbfounds them and buys him time while they try to jump it as well. Their heavy armor and weapons must be a deterrent to them, making such a ruckus. _All that clinking and smashing must give them a headache._ Ezio muses as he jumps another alley. This time, he lands on a lamp post and drops to the ground. Deciding now was the time to dissapear...

After a series of sharp twists and turns, Ezio spots a rather crowded area in a small garden behind a fenced off area. A white, marble bench is occupied by two other men, wearing similar clothing. Without wasting any time, the Assassin slows his steps, and strides, casually into the closed off space. Plopping down on the bench, he bows his head, letting his white hood do its job.

Surely enough, "Where has he gone?!"

"He is here somewhere!"

"Check the hay!"

"He is gone!"

The peasants surrounding him look disturbed by the guards acting in such a frenzy. But the young Assassin betrays no emotion on his face while he waits for the Templars to give up their search...they haven't even bothered to look in the enclosed garden. _Imbeciles..._ Ezio comments, cracking a small grin.

But suddenly...

His vision starts to go white. The air fragments into tiny, white and silver shards. Noise fades to nothing but a muffled hum in his ears as the mission shuts down. The Animus menu appears before his eyes and suddenly, he is no longer Ezio...he thinks...

* * *

"Welcome back, Desmond." Rebecca says as the last of the motion sickness wears off. "Don't get up too fast." She warns him.

"Mm..." Desmond pushes himself up to a sitting position, leaning his throbbing head in his hands for a moment. Just long enough to clear his blurry vision.

"Are you feeling alright, Desmond?"

The Assassin looks up to find a blonde woman standing over him. Lucy frowns in concern when he doesn't say anything at first. "Yeah...just peachy..." He grumbles before standing up completely. A sudden cramp in his back reminds him he must have been in there for quite a while.

"Take it easy." Lucy urges, reaching out as if to steady him. "You've been under for almost six hours..." She tells him, a look of guilt on her face. "We were hoping to let you complete your mission before you took a break."

"It's alright." Desmond shrugs, rotating his shoulder to stretch out the stiff muscles. "We need to find out as much as we can about the Apple's location."

"You're darn right!" Shaun says from across the room. The British Assassin's eyes were locked on a computer screen, watching a flow of data from some history site as it passes, relentlessly, down the page. "We're getting close, I can feel it!"

"Oh? Like you could 'feel it' when we were going the completely opposite direction on the highway?" Rebecca challenges, a hint of a laugh in her alto voice. "Because of your 'sense', it took us twice as long to get to McDonalds!"

Desmond chuckles as his comrades continue to bicker, childishly on the other side of the room. "What time is it?" He asks Lucy, who had taken her usual seat by a computer of her own.

The blonde glances at her watch. "Almost ten o'clock." She tells him.

Desmond folds his arms, growling in frusteration.

"What?"

"I've been in the Animus for six hours." He reminds her. "I'm a little disoriented. Ten a.m. or p.m.?"

Lucy smiles, apologetically. "P.m."

He nods and starts walking toward the exit of their hideout, below the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni. "I'll be back in ten minutes." He calls to anyone who might be listening, before slipping out of the large gap in the rock wall and jogging up the cracked path that leads outside.

* * *

Artificial bluish light filters through the 'energy efficient' bulbs that are screwed into each and every light in the estate. The harmonic sound of crickets echos through the Villa, accompanying the smacking of Desmond's shoes on the pavement as he sprints through the night.

The dark haired man sucks in a lungful of fresh air, something that he sorely missed hiding out in the dank, musty cave below his ancestors' home. _Six hours, huh?_ He rotates his shoulders again, slowing his steps when he becomes slightly winded. _If I keep this up, I'm gonna get lazy..._ He muses. Six hours of sitting versus ten minutes of exersize...the odds didn't look too favorable for Desmond. _In more than just one way..._He comments, dryly. True, at this point, it looked rather hopeless that the small group of hideaway Assassins would be able to find the Apple of Eden's location before Abstergo. But that didn't mean they were going to stop trying.

If it were up to Desmond, he would still be in the Animus, reliving Ezio's life in order to find where the aritifact was hidden. But he knew, and Lucy kept reminding him, that if he spends too much time within the machine...he'll end up just like Subject 16. And just the thought of that was enough to send a shiver up Desmond's spine.

_**-xXx-**_

_"Ezio!" Claudia calls from one of the upper balconies. An early evening light glistened off her golden-brown hair, illuminating her youthful face. "Uncle says it's time for supper!" His younger sister motions for him to come as she dissapears back through the sliding, glass doors._

_ "I am coming." He replies, lazily. Yawning as he begins to jog toward his new home, where the thick aroma of a meal hung in the air._

_**-xXx-**_

"Woaah..." Desmond doubles over, holding his head in his hands again. _Where did that come from?_ He hadn't experienced the Bleeding Effect for while now...it was almost easy to forget how much it completely sucked.

To him, it felt like all the strength had been sucked out of him. His knees buckle and he finds himself sliding to the ground, his back presses against the wall of someone's home. The Villa swims through his vision. The light fades and, eventually, darkness consumes him.


	2. Doubtful

_**Chapter Two**_

"Desmond!" A hushed voice echos through the maze of alleys behind the Villa Auditore. With a nervous sigh, Lucy lifts her hand and presses the button on her headpiece. "Anything yet?" She asks the others.

There's a slight pause, some crackling from interferance and then, "No, nothing yet." Shaun replies, dryly. There's the distinct sound of someone knocking over a trashcan and the British Historian swears, quietly before signing off.

"Rebecca?" Lucy asks. "How about you?"

Rebecca sighs into her earpiece before saying, "Nope, I haven't found him yet."

Desmond had told them he'd be gone for ten minutes. That was a half hour ago. And he still hadn't returned. There was no questioning why his comrades might be concerned for his safety. Lucy visibly shudders at the idea that, maybe, Abstergo had shown up and-No. She shakes her head, peering around another corner. No way. Desmond was stronger than that now. He wouldn't go down without a fight. And besides, he had his headset. He would have contacted them if something had gone wrong. _There where is he? _A cold little voice asks Lucy in the back of her mind. The blonde woman frowns at the question. _Maybe he just got turned around..._She offers, lamely. In all honesty, Lucy wasn't sure why she was so worried about him. After all, wasn't it her job to-

"Ugh...huh...?"

Lucy snaps back into reality at the sound of Desmond's voice. She quickly taps her earphone. "I've got him!" She says, hurriedly to the other Assassins. Then, with a quick survey of the area, she finds him slumped against the side of a building. His head dangling, weakly and his eyes glazed over. "Desmond!" She calls in a soft voice as she runs toward him.

The dark-haired man shifts, tiredly. Just enough to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "Lucy..." He mumbles, wincing at a sudden pain in his head.

"What happened?" She asks, kneeling down to get eye level with him.

"I uh..." He pauses, struggling to come up with a coherent sentence. "I heard Claudia calling me...she was...waiting on the balcony...waving at me..." Desmond's words were slurred and broken. There was just the tiniest hint of an Italian accent marring his voice.

"Claudia?" Lucy mutters, eyeing him in concern. "You mean Claudia Auditore? Ezio's younger sister?"

Desmond hesitates, as if confused by what she'd said. "Yeah..._Ezio's_ sister..." Silently, he added _Not my sister...Ezio's...not mine..._ He groans in pain, clutching his head as more ghostly figures assulted his mind. Somewhere behind Lucy, a man wearing a gaurds helmet and armor asked, "_Is there a problem here?_"

"No...no problem..." Desmonds responds, suddenly. He recoils from the unexpected words that came from his own mouth. They hadn't sounded like his...

"What was that?" Lucy asks him. "Desmond, are you feeling alright?"

He shakes his head. "I'm okay."

Just then, a chorus of footsteps interrupts them as Rebecca and Shaun jog around the corner. They slow their steps and smile in relief at him. "What happened, Desmond?" Rebecca asks, shifting a lock of her dark hair away from her shoulder. "You get lost or something?"

Shaun snorts, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'll bet that's what happened. I mean, it's not like he's a trained Assassin with centuries of experience or anything." The brunette man rolls his eyes. "Really, Rebecca?"

"Shut it, Shaun." She snaps.

"Guys!" Lucy growls. "Stop bickering like kids and help me move him before someone hears us."

Rebecca flashes a look at Shaun. She motions to Desmond and stands aside. "Ladies first." She snickers at him.

"Oh, very cute." He mutters, pulling Desmond to his feet. He and Lucy drape his arms over their shoulders and support him as they hurry back to their hideout.

* * *

"How're you feeling?" Lucy's voice was gentle, almost motherly, when she knelt down beside Desmond's place at the Animus. He wasn't plugged in but that was the best place for him to rest in the dark, dank cave.

He shrugs, casually. "Better." It was the truth. He had next to no memory of what had happened to him after having heard Claudia call him. And even less memory of his team finding him. They all claimed he had been awake the whole time...but he was having a pretty hard time believing that.

The blonde frowns and sits back. "Really, Desmond, if you're still feeling sick, we need to know about it."

Desmond shakes his head. "I said I'm fine, Lucy. Right now, all I want to do is go back to Ezio and finding the Apple-"

"Not now." She interrupts him, pushing herself to her feet. "Right now, all you need is rest."

He growls in frusteration. "We don't have time for-"

"I know." She snaps. "Believe me, Desmond. I know we're short on time. We need to find the Apple of Eden before Abstergo. But, think about it this way: If you don't get rest, the Bleeding Effect will only get worse. And then you'll end up just like Subject 16 and we'll have _no one_ who can find the Apple." The harshness of her words stung him for a reason he couldn't figure out. But he knew she was right.

He sighs, leaning his head in his hands. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"It's a good thing you feel that way." Shaun calls from across the cave. "Because of your little episode, Rebecca has to run some tests on the Animus 2.0. Which means I'm short one partner for my supply runs. That means you are the lucky man who gets to accompany me. Be ready to leave in ten minutes."

Desmond arches an eyebrow at his forwardness. "Alright then...looks like I found something to do while Rebecca fixes Baby."

* * *

The road leading out of Monteriggioni was winding and narrow. They were constantly dodging pedestrians as well as bikes and animals. Desmond's passenger side window was rolled down, allowing some of the cool morning air into the stuffy van. The melodic sound of people chatting, happily in Italian coupled with fresh air, making the drive away from their secret hideaway a little less nerve-wracking than it really was.

Shaun had the radio on, trying to tune into a station that spoke English. But he wasn't having much luck. Eventually, he sighed and turned it off. "All of the local stations are in Italian." He grumbles, as if Desmond hadn't noticed.

"Not true." Desmond points out. "I think I heard one that was in French."

* * *

"Hey, Lucy!" Rebecca calls. She was leaned over the Animus's complex inner workings, her forehead glistening with sweat. When she receives no answer, she peeks over the red leather seat. Her chocolate colored eyes scanning the dark cave. Lucy was no where to be seen. She stands up, brushing dirt and grease off her clothes. "Lucy?" Silence.

She shrugs and crosses the room, finding the wrench she was going to ask Lucy to hand to her within an orange toolbox on the floor. She glances sideways at her companion's laptop screen. It glowed, brightly in the dark, illuminating Lucy's desk with an eerie silver light.

"Hm?" She straightens, noticing that Lucy's email was open. She stands up, clutching the wrench to her chest as he tilted her head, craning her neck to see what Lucy had been up to. She'd been acting...tense lately. Especially after being in her email for too long.

"Rebecca?" Lucy's voice caused her to jump and walk, resolutely back across the room, wearing an innocent smile.

"Yup." The dark haired woman says, quickly as she ducks back behind the Animus. "I was just looking for my wrench. Baby's got a few screws loose." She silently curses herself for being such a terrible liar.

Lucy doesn't respond for a few seconds. "Okay."

Rebecca hears the squeak of her chair as she sits down in front of her computer again.

"Do you think that could have caused something to go wrong? Maybe that's what affected Desmond so badly..."

"Yeah, could be." The technician agrees, gingerly as she places a shaking hand over her thundering heart. Why had Lucy's arrival frightened her so much? And...why did she want to see who her blonde friend was emailing right now?

* * *

"Oh for God's sake, Desmond!" Shaun complains, loudly. "You're a grown man! You should know right from left by now!"

"Hey, I'm not the one gave me the map _upside down_!" The young Assassin counters, frustrated.

"Yeah, Desmond. You know that little star-looking thing that says 'north' 'east' 'west' and 'south' on it? South isn't supposed to be facing upward!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. Uh, take a left here."

"Are you sure?" Shaun asks him in a tone that sounded like he was talking to a three year old.

"Just go left!" He groans.

Shaun turns left, steering them onto another identical street where all the road signs are written in Italian.

"I thought you'd been here before. How come you need a map?" Desmond asks him.

"Actually, we're going somewhere new today." Shaun replies. "I usually do supply runs with Rebecca and our cover story is pretty sound. Bringing you along instead would raise questions, since there's only a few cashiers and all of them know us. I'd rather avoid explaining who you are to them."

"So this new store, have you guys checked it out?"

The historian shrugs. "It's a family-run market miles away from most civilization. How they stay in business is beyond me but, anyhow, I highly doubt Abstergo has planted agents _there_ of all places."

"Doubt?" Desmond leans back into the seat, trying to calm his nerves. He'd never been good with unfamiliar places, even before being kidnapped by Abstergo Industries a few months ago. He blamed growing up on the Farm for that much... "That's real reassuring, thanks Shaun."

_**A/N: So, what do you guys think so far? I hope you're enjoying it and yeah, this is going to be a pretty long fanfiction. Just a heads-up. **_


	3. Closing In

_**Chapter Three**_

"Here you go, Desmond." Shaun says as he rips the shopping list into two and hands one of the halves to him. "Try not to attract too much attention to yourself."

Desmond grunts unhappily as he stalks off down one of the six aisles the small grocery store had to offer. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." He grumbles, scanning the list half-heartedly. There was a lot more here than he expected and Shaun wrote very small so his half of an index card held at least thirty items. Ranging from toiletries to bread and butter. He looks up, finding a large sign hanging from the ceiling above him.

As he moves to relocate himself to the proper row of shelves, he notices Shaun chatting, idly with one of the clerks. Desmond rolls his eyes, muttering something about 'so much for keeping a low profile'.

"Okay, water." He walks down the aisle and drops two gallons of spring water into his cart. "Next is..." He blinks, narrowing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Someone says behind him. He feels the person touch his shoulder and then-

_**-xXx-**_

_"Ezio, what are you doing here? Didn't Uncle ask you to pick up some things from the Fabbro for him?" _

_ When he turns, he finds his sister standing behind him. There was a confused frown on Claudia's face and her arms were folded in front of her. She tilts her head when he doesn't answer her._

_ "Didn't you hear me, Ezio?" She asks him. "Have you gone deaf or something?"_

_**-xXx-**_

"Desmond!" It was Shaun's voice in his ear now. His comrade's hand was firm on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Snap out of it!" He whispers, trying to avoid the watchful eye of the curious store clerk who he'd been talking to before.

"Uh, y-yeah..." Desmond straightens up from his semi-slumped position and removes his head from his hands. He didn't remember having doubled over like that. And, for some reason, he finds himself looking around, wondering where Claudia has run off to.

Shaun leans closer, his expression tight when he says, "Bleeding Effect?"

Desmond nods, jerkily. "But I'm alright now. It passed." He lies. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was wondering who this man was...and why Claudia had seemingly vanished. _It was just a hallucination. _He reminds himself. _Not real._

"Are you sure? We could call Lucy and-"

"No, no." Desmond offers a smile and waves him off. "I said I'm good. Let's just finish up and get back before we attract more attention."

* * *

"Grazie, amici." The Italian clerk says, happily as she passes the last of their groceries over counter. "Addio!"

"Addio..." Desmond mutters as he takes an arm-load of plastic bags and heads for the doors. For some reason, he also adds, "Buongiorno." Even though he's not entirely sure what it means. It had just felt...right to say it.

"I didn't know you speak Italian." Shaun says as he catches up to him. "That would have been nice to know..."

"I don't." Desmond tells him. "But Ezio does..."

* * *

Her brilliant, white-toothed smile never fades until they are gone. Then, her olive-toned face goes blank. Nearly emotionless. The clerk leans down and takes her cell phone from a drawer below the counter. With a flash of her quick, nimble fingers, the text is sent and phone replaced in its spot.

She can just imagine Vidic's face when he checks his messages and finds what she had sent him.

**To: W. Vidic **

**I've got the location of Subject 17. I will send coordinates in an email later. Be prepared to move.**

**From: A. Belmonte**

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey! Look who's finally returned!" Rebecca cheers, smirking at Desmond and Shaun as they haul the enourmous load of groceries into the cave. "What happened? You get lost or something?"

That's when Lucy stands up as well. "Yeah, you've been gone for a while."

"Well, as it turns out, Desmond is not very good at reading a map. Ironic, isnt it? Since that's how his ancestors moved around..."

"We're not getting into this again." Desmond growls as he flops into a chair, massaging the tension out of his temples. "Besides," He begins, pointedly. "I already told you. You gave the map to me upside down."

Rebecca bursts out laughing at this. "I don't know Lucy, maybe we should send Desmond and Shaun on runs together more often. And next time, send a camera or something. I wish I coulda' seen that!"

Lucy smirks and goes back to her typing. "Yeah, maybe."

"Oh, actually, there was one more thing you two should probably know about." Says Shaun.

"Oh?" Lucy glances up, her interest sparked. "What's that?"

"It seems our friend Desmond here, has managed to pick up more than Assassination techniques from his time in the Animus."

"What?" Rebecca tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

Desmond sighs. "He means that I'm starting to pick up some Italian from being Ezio." He clarifies, wearily.

But the response he gets from Rebecca is not the one he'd hoped for. "But that's impossible." She says, jumping to her feet. "The Animus is designed to translate any unknown languages into the native tongue of the user. You shouldn't be hearing things in Italian at all."

"Huh?" Desmond sits up. "I thought that's what you mean when you said it got translated. That I would be able to understand them somehow..."

To say the technician looked disturbed was an understatement.

"Rebecca, what does this mean?" Lucy asks, standing up from her desk to join the conversation.

"I...I'm not entirely sure to be honest." She answers, quietly. "Something must be wrong inside of Baby. There must be a corrupted file somewhere or...maybe the power source is going bad..." She kneels down and goes back to fiddling with more wires and circuits inside the Animus 2.0.

"Wait a sec." Lucy mutters. "How did you guys figure out that Desmond was learning Italian?"

"We were just talking with one of the clerks at the store." Desmond explains with a casual shrug. "And it's a lot less than 'learning' it...I just picked up a few phrases."

Suddenly, Rebecca backs off from the Animus. "Nope, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong..."

"Then how would this be happening?" Shaun asks her.

That's when it strikes Lucy. "Desmond, earlier when you passed out, you said something about Claudia talking to you." She begins. "Was she speaking English or Italian?"

He hesitates, his dark eyes downcast. "I uh...I don't really remember..." He admits. "But...I think it was..." He frowns, trying to remember made his head pound, unbearably hard. "Ah..." He doubles over, cradling his head again as a flash of light behind his eyes temporarily disorients him.

"Woah there." Lucy catches his arm just as his knees begin to go weak. "Take it easy, Desmond." She urges. "Don't try to remember. Just relax."

He nods, attempting to ignore the ghostly voices ringing in his ears. As well as the redish glow of his 'other vision' beginning to take hold for some reason. Lucy lowers him into the Animus and he lets his eyes flutter closed for a moment.

_**-xXx-**_

_"They are coming, Ezio..." Mario tell him, his expression stoic. "The Templars know where we're hiding. And they're going to attack full-force."_

_ "Yes, Uncle. I know." A young Ezio replies, calmly. "What should we do?"_

_ Suddenly, the scene changes before his very eyes. Ezio is no longer standing within the armory of his Uncle's villa. He is now floating in a wide-open space. The air is made of jagged, white shards that appear as if they should cut. But they float, harmlessly past him. And he is no longer himself. When he looks down at his hand, it is different. He is different. _

_ "Hello?" He calls, sounding unnerved. "Is anyone there?"_

_ At first, he recieves no answer. But then-_

_ "Yes sir. I-" A bluish light suddenly flashes in front of him. It widens and darkens. Eventually, it holds the image of a girl who is somehow very firmiliar to him. "Yes sir." She repeats herself, sounding slightly annoyed. "Subject 17, as well as another man who I can only assume to be another Assassin, came into the store at 10:30 this morning." She pauses, waiting for a response from the other end of her phone call. "Yes sir." She nods to herself as she listens. "I will text you the picture I took of their license plate. Is there anything else I can do?" She waits again. "Yes, thank you Sir. Addio." Then, the Italian clerk snaps her phone shut and smirks, proudly at the work she's done._

_ It's only then that another voice fades into his conscioness. "You must find the Apple before they do. If the Templars get control of its power, all is lost."_

_ "Yes, I know." Desmond replies, evenly._

_**A/N: So...are you confused? XD If so, let me know and I'll clear it up for you.**_


	4. Escape!

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the hold up :) I plan on updating more frequently now.**_

The chamber was increadibly dark. The only light was the soft, golden glow of the Apple. Ezio holds himself still, struggling only slightly while trying not to touch the mysterious artifact. All around him, there were towering figures. Black and silver shards jutting out from the ground, standing nearly as tall as houses. Empty, dark veins ran through them as if something should be inside. He turns and looks down the curved stairs he'd climbed to come up here. The temple truly was amazing.

_It is a shame I cannot bring Leonardo here...surely, he especially, would appreciate this place. _He muses, gazing almost dreamily around the large temple. Then, with a frown, he decides, _But now is not the time for such things. As long as the Apple is here, it is safe and out of the reach of our enemies._ With that, he marches down the stairs and leaves the Piece of Eden behind, silently resolving to never let it fall into the wrong hands.

Just as he slides back through the cave's slim enterance, a brilliant light bursts forth from nowhere. The air dissolves into shards and the Italian countryside buckles in front of him. And then...

* * *

"Desmond, wake up." It was Rebecca's voice that brought him back to reality. The dark haired woman was bent over him, her hand roughly shaking his shoulder. "C'mon we don't have time for this!"

"Huh...?" He sits up, rubbing his eyes as if having just woken from a nap. "What's going on?" He asks, glancing around the cave only to find it almost completely empty.

She backs off, giving him room. "Have you figured out the location of the Apple yet?!" She demands just as Shaun and Lucy come sprinting inside.

"What's the hold up?!" Lucy barks.

"I don't understand. What's-" Desmond is interrupted by a chorus of gunfire outside. "What was that?!"

"It's Abstergo." Shaun says. "They've found us!"

* * *

A half dozen vans swing onto the concrete circle at the base of the stairs, leading up to the Villa Auditore. Their tires squealing, loudly against the wet pavement. The sliding doors on the sides of the van pop open and armed men, donning security armor and helmets, jump out. Some of them hurry to create a perimeter, stopping citizens from entering the area.

"Please don't come any closer." The guards announce, fending off curious residents. "It isn't safe."

"What's happening?" Someone from the, ever growing, crowd asks.

"We believe a terrorist group may be hiding out below the Villa Auditore." One of the guards tells them, firmly. "So, please, stay back."

At that, many eyes go wide and some people rush home. Concerned mothers grab ahold of their children's wrists and pull them back into their front doors, pulling the curtains and turning off lights. Others stay in the streets, watching the scene unfold rapidly before them. None of them notice the peculiar Abstergo insignia on the uniforms.

Just then, a man with thinning, white hair and a full beard steps out of one of the vans. The pin on his white lab coat reveals him to be Warren Vidic. Vidic folds his arms behind his back and strolls over to one of the gaurds.

"How are we making out?" He asks, curiously.

"Not well, sir. We haven't found where they are." The security guard responds.

"You've checked all throughout the Villa?"

"Yes sir."

"Hmm," Vidic frowns at the towering mansion. "It isn't like the Assassins to hide in a place like this...not since the last few centuries, anyway."

"Sir?"

"There must be a secret location somewhere nearby. Keep looking and don't let anybody in or out until they've spoken to me." The Templar scientist smirks, arrogantly before saying, "I've got to make a phone call."

* * *

"What are they shooting at?" Rebecca asks in a hushed voice.

"The walls, probably. Looking for a secret enterance." Shaun theorizes, sullenly.

Just then the sound of light, electronic beeps fills the cave.

"What's that?" Desmond asks, glancing around.

"My phone..." Lucy mutters, fumbling to free it from her pocket.

"No offense, Lucy," Desmond grumbles. "But now's not the time to be chatting."

"You think I don't know that?!" The blonde woman snaps as she turns off her phone, quietly grimacing over the name on the caller ID. "We need to find another way out of here before they get to us!"

"On it." Desmond jumps to his feet from his place at the Animus. Turning in quick circle, he scans the entirety of the cave in one swoop, channeling his inner Assassin. "There." He jabs a finger upward. "There's some kind of vent or something up there." A metal grating was nestled in the rock, fourty feet above their heads.

"Oh that's great, Desmond." Shaun sighs. "But how are we going to get up there, not to mention the Animus?!"

"He's right." Lucy agrees. "And beside that, there's got to be dozens of Abstergo's men up there right now. We'd be shot on sight...or captured. Whichever's worse."

Desmond nods, biting his lip to cover a swear. How on earth were they going to get out of there?! Suddenly-

_**-xXx-**_

_"Ezio."_

_ He turns, quickly. Shocked by the presence of the voice. "Uncle Mario." _

_ The older Assassin smiles at his nephew before saying, "Nipote, there are many things you don't know about your new home here in Monteriggioni. Remember when I showed you the chamber where the statues of the Great Assassins were held?"_

_ "Yes, Uncle." Ezio replies, smiling curiously. What did his uncle have in store for him now?_

_ "I cannot possibly hope to reveal to you all of the Villa's secrets. It has many. But just remember this, Nipote-"_

_**-xXx-**_

"Open your eyes...and you you find what you are looking for..." Desmond mutters under his breath, just loud enough to turn everyone's eyes on him.

"What did you say?" Lucy asks him.

Desmond doesn't respond. Closing his eyes, he remembers what it had felt like to discover his prey as Altair, to stalk his target as Ezio...he takes a breath, feeling a subtle shift within his mind. When his eyes open again, he's only half surprised to see that the world is now illuminated in shades of glowing white. The rock was darker than usual, fading into the background while Lucy, Rebecca and Shaun blazed hot blue. Noise dissapeared as well, leaving only a muffled hum in his ears. When he looks up, the the manhole cover is also black.

_ Not where I need to go. _He decides. Then, turning around, he sees there's a dangerous red glow seeping through the wall where the enterance is. "They found the way in." He says, evenly. It almost didn't sound like him. He sees that his comrades are speaking to him but he doesn't hear what they say. Desmond turns again, trying to find another way out.

His dark eyes flit all around the cavern, squinting through the dizzying array of brilliant colors. And then-

"There." A large boulder, probably the result of a past cave-in, was gushing with golden light. "If we move that boulder, we could take the Animus out through there. It leads into the tunnels beneath Monteriggioni."

Lucy stares at him with wide, blue eyes. "Desmond, how did you-"

"No time." He tells her. "Shaun, let's move this thing. They'll find us soon." His voice was eerily smooth. Not a trace of worry marred his even tone.

Shaun nods and hurries over to help him with the boulder.

"Lucy and Rebecca." He says, glancing at them out of the corner of his eyes. "Start unplugging the Animus and turning off lights. We want them to think we're long gone."

The two women obey, working in a flurry of quick hands and nimble fingers. Undoing extension cords and flicking the lamps off. They work together to lift the Animus 2.0 off the ground and carry it closer to the wall before moving to help Shaun and Desmond, who were still struggling to make the rock budge.

Just then, someone directly above them shouts, "Look at this! Some kind of secret tunnel!" Immediately, there's the sound of pursuit. Footsteps rumble overhead. Someone shouts orders about finding a way in.

Lucy grimaces. "You guys need help moving that thing?!"

"Almost...got it..." Desmond croaks, pressing his entire body weight against the boulder. His voice was no longer dead. Now he just sounded determined. Determined to get them all to safety. Whether that meant escaping through the tunnel...

Or killing every last Templar out there.


	5. En Route

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: I may or may not have some of my facts wrong. If so, PM me and I'll do my best to correct the errors. :)**_

There were thirteen of them in total. All of them heavily armed. All of them ready and willing to shoot on sight. The small army of Templars march down the dirt path, leading into the Assassin's hideout with their sights focused and their fingers on the trigger. The Assassins were here...they could feel it.

Just when the tunnel got too dark for them to see, they felt themselves stepping into a cave. A few, narrow beams of orange light from a manhole cover above them, offered enough to see by.

"Split up," Their captain said. "They're here somewhere."

The cell of Templars divides, scouring the small enclosure with the occasional flash of a red laser from their scopes. The cave was a mess. Full of severed extension cords and toppled spot lights. There was a area of bedding still laid out on the floor, against the farthest wall. But no Assassins.

"Sir." Someone calls, loudly. "I've got something."

The Templar Captain hurries over, his eyes narrowing at the thin crevice. "What is this?" He demands.

The other man motions to a large stone that lay on its side. "See the tracks in the dirt here?" There were several, heavy sets of scrape marks indicating the boulder had been moved. "And these?" Beside them were a series of footsteps. "The Assassins were here, Sir. But not anymore."

"We just missed them..." He growls, furiously.

* * *

It was dark in the back of the van. With no restraints or proper seating, Desmond felt each and every bump, crack and pothole Shaun navigated over. The young Assassin knelt beside the Animus, panting from the hard run it had taken for them to reach their vehicle without being seen.

True, he was an especially talented Assassin, thanks to the Animus training...but sometimes, he forgot that it was only his mind that was learning. And his body was still strapped into a chair. But as he sit, gasping for air in the back of the van, he decided his body needed the training as well. He made a mental note to start up running again once they had found a secure location to hide out.

Just then, a small metal sheet slid open, revealing Lucy's weary face. "You okay back there?" She asks Desmond. The exhaustion was plain in her voice.

"Peachy." He grumbles, clinging to the machine for dear life. "And you guys? I can hear Shaun choking from back here..." A small, tired smile slid across his face.

Lucy smirks back, snickering a little.

"Where we headed, anyway?" He wonders, craning his neck to see the windshield behind her.

"Rebecca's working on finding directions to the Temple where Ezio left the Apple." She tells him. "So for now, we're circling the city until we know where to turn off."

He frowns. "You sure that's a good idea? With Abstergo so close...?"

"We'll be fine." Lucy assures him. "It'll only take-"

"Got it!" Rebecca chimes in, suddenly. "Shuan, take a right up here."

"Took you long enough." Shaun mumbles. A second later, Desmond feels the van take a sharp turn.

"How long?" He asks her.

Lucy moves out of the way and Rebecca takes her place at the window. "About two days. It's inside the The Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli."

Desmonds nods and sits back against the side of the van and Lucy slides the window shut again. The dark-haired man bows his head, frowning slightly. He couldn't help but be reminded of the warning he'd recieved from that...ghost. Minerva. If, what she said was true, then they needed to find this temple before Abstergo. They needed to find the Apple that was inside it so that the Templars couldn't get their hands on it. If they did...the world would pay the price. He sighs, leaning his head in his hands. Why had this 'Minerva' revealed all of this to him? What did she expect _him_ to do about it?

Without him noticing, Lucy had opened the window again. She had meant to tell him to get rest, they'd need it these next few days...but something stopped her. Desmond was doubled over against the wall, his head cradled in his hands. Was he suffering from the Bleeding Effect?

"Desmond?" She asks, quietly.

He peers at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Yeah?"

Lucy hesitates, scrutinizing his pale face. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." He tells her, relaxing against the wall and letting his hands drop to his sides. There was an odd look in his eyes. A mixture of worry and exhaustion. Something was wearing on him.

"Well, we're going to stop somewhere to eat. Are you hungry?"

He was about to say no. He felt too nervous to eat. But, just then, his stomach decided to answer for him. It let out a loud grumble, inciting a laugh from the blonde woman.

"I'll take that as a yes." Her expression softens before saying, "Get some rest. I'll wake you when we get somewhere."

He shrugs. "Then tell Shaun to take it easy on the speed bumps. 'Casue I swear to God, if he wakes me up, I'm coming up there." He says, grinning threateningly.

"Oh, I'm scared!" The historian mocks him, purposefully stepping on the gas and steering over a pot hole.

"Gah!" Desmond rubs his lower back that took the impact. "Shaaaun!" He growls, moving closer to the window.

"Now, now children." Rebecca sighs, barely supressing a smile. "Shaun, let Dessy take his wittle nap. There's nothing worse than a cranky, sleep deprived Assassin. And, from what it sounds like, he's got a hidden blade with your name on it."

With that, the van is filled with laughter. Even Shaun snickers as he slows the van down a little. "Alright, alright. The last thing I need is more stitches."

"Pff," Desmond stretches out on the floor. "Trust me, Shaun. If I wanted to kill you, stitches wouldn't be much help to you." He could swear he heard Shaun swallow, loudly as the window slid closed again.

He let his eyes close and welcomed the embrace of sleep as darkness closed in around him.

* * *

The small diner shone like a becon in the night. Several, flickering signs stabbed through the dark like a knife. The windows were alight with a warm, golden glow as Shaun steered into the parking lot.

"You sure about this?" He asks the two women.

"None of us have eaten since breakfast." Lucy reminds him. "And we lost Abstergo a long time ago. Besides..." The blonde Assassin glances at the back of the van where Desmond was still snoozing. "He deserves to take a break after all that. Desmond had been in the Animus far longer than is healthy and, on top of that..." She hesitates, switching her pale blue gaze to the dashboard. "Something's bothering him."

"Yeah, I picked that up." Rebecca mumbles. "Did you see how weird he was acting in the cave? How did he know all of that...about the exit into the tunnels?"

"No clue." Lucy says. "He could have done some exploring while he was out of the Animus."

"I guess so."

"Anyhow," Shaun interrupts them. "If we're doing this, let's hurry up. I'd rather not risk being caught on a camera or someone seeing our van."

"Yeah." Lucy pops the door open and slips outside. "I'll go in first and see if there are security cameras around."

"I'll wake Desmond and check on Baby." Rebecca offers as she slides out as well. Shaun remains behind the wheel, ready to be the get-away driver if need be.

As Lucy goes in the door, Rebecca opens the back of the van. She smirks at the sight of Desmond, curled up on his side with his head pillowed on his arms and a thin trail of drool running down his chin. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. _Just like I thought...a big child._ "Hey." She says, shaking his shoulder. "Up-and-at-em, Desmond."

After a few grunts and groans of protest, he cracks open one eye and glares at her. "No way it's...morning already..."

"Nope." She agrees, cheerily. "It's dinner time."

After a few minutes, Lucy returns to the van. Her stride was realxed and casual, well practiced. "One camera but it's by the restroom. If we stay near the front left of the diner, we'll be safe."

The trio of Assassins nod in consent and Shaun finally leaves his seat, satisfied with their safety. Desmond tugs up his white hood anyway, just to be safe and the three of them dissapear inside.

* * *

"What did you find?" Vidic's arms were folded in front of him. A nasty sneer on his face. Needless to say, he was unhappy about his team having lost Subject 17 once again. The scientist was standing in the center of the chamber below the Villa Auditore while his men searched for evidence of where they were headed. _ Wherever they're going, it's one step closer to the Apple of Eden...that is, assuming they haven't already found it._

The other Templar salutes him. "We've managed to find the license plate number of the Assassin's van. It was registered to a Rebecca Crane by an unknown dealer somewhere in New York City."

"Rebecca Crane?" Vidic said the name slowly. "Do we have any records of her?"

"No sir. But she's obviously working with the Assassins...if not one herself."

"Yes." Vidic nods, a dark smile on his face. "Make a record of her. Put it in with the man Shaun Hastings, that our informant tipped us off to earlier. As well as Subject 17."

"What about the other woman, Sir?" The Templar tilts his head. "Lucy Stillman."

Warren Vidic smirks. "Don't worry about Ms. Stillman for now. She won't be of any danger to us."

The Templar nods. "Shall I put a watch out for the van?"

"Yes, everywhere you can. Make sure it's found."

"And once it is?"

"Inform me and stick some of our men on it. I want it followed. Closely."


	6. At the Temple

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: I re-did the 'finding the temple' sequence for the sake of originality and a lack of research abilities. So, yeah. I know that in the game Desmond climbs all over the place and activates all sorts of levers and ladders and yada yada...But not here :D So enjoy and let me know what you think!**_

Warren Vidic's polished, black shoes tap over the freshly waxed tiles as he paces through his lab. The white-haired man's arms were folded behind his back and his gaze was downcast. Stress was clearly written on his aged face. It had been nearly fourty-eight hours since he'd last heard of the Assassins whereabouts. They could be anywhere!

The scientist lets out a heavy sigh before sinking into a chair in front of his computer. The screen let off a, hot white glow which illuminated his dimly lit office. It was nighttime in Rome and he had been too preoccupied to turn on the lights.

Vidic reaches out, expertly steering his computer mouse over the email icon. This was the fifth time he'd checked his messages in the last half hour but he needed to know if they found anything. And another thing that had been gnawing at his mind...why hadn't he recieved any word from Ms. Stillman? Surely, she would have sent him an email or text or...something as soon as the Assassins made a move. So...where was she?

"Sir." A steady, measure voice came over the intercom.

"What is it?" Vidic asks, eagerly.

He could hear a hint of a smile in the other man's voice. "We've got them. The Assassins have gone inside The Basilica di Santa Maria. Our men have already begun closing in on them."

Vidic frowns, staring out the massive windows over the city of Rome. "No." He says, evenly. "Tell them to pull back."

"Sir?"

"We still have use of Subject 17. Let them be for now..."

There's the slightest hesitation on the other end before the Templar agent says, "Yes sir."

"And one more thing." Vidic says. "I want them to confirm the preservation of Lucy Stillman. If, somehow, the Assassins have discovered our plan, we need to move immediately."

"Of course, Sir." The intercom goes silent on the other end, leaving Warren Vidic smiling darkly out the window.

_It seems you haven't escaped us yet, Mr. Miles. And I plan on seeing to it that you never do..._

* * *

Desmond lowers his hood and gazes around the massive cathedral. It felt like only days ago he'd been here...even though he, himself, had actually been there. He closes his eyes and reminds himself, as always, _It was Ezio, not me...not me..._

"Desmond?"

He turns to face Lucy who was watching him with a tight expression on her face. The blonde woman was standing near the front of the church, leaning on a dark wood podium, carved with intricate designs. Silvery moonlight filtered through the stain glass windows, casting a white tint to her already pale features. She offers him a half-hearted smile before asking if he was feeling alright.

"Yeah," He assures her. "I'm just fine."

"Well that's dandy." Shaun suddenly chimes in. "Now can we focus on finding a way into the Temple? You know, before Abstergo finds us and mucks everything up?!"

Lucy sighs, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, Desmond, I don't suppose you can work the same magic as back in Monteriggioni?"

The young man smirks. "I guess we'll see." He wanders off to the other end of the church, eyeing the slick walls and tall windows. As well as a painfully small amount of jumping points. No way on climbing here. He turns around and paces back to the front of the church, only vaugely aware of the three sets of eyes watching his every move.

"Hey, Desmond." Rebecca asks, sheepishly. "Not to be rude, but...Shaun wasn't kidding. We really do need to hurry..."

"I know." He replies. He closes his eyes, letting his mind click. When he opens them again, the world is glowing in warped shades of white and black. Shaun, Rebecca and Lucy flare in varying shades of blue. He turns in a slow circle, staring up at the ceiling. Then, gazing all around the cathedral. "I don't see anything..." He admits in confusion.

But then, as if on que, a flicker of gold caught his attention out his peripheral vision. A small indentation, nearly invisible to the naked eye, was blazing hot yellow. Desmond frowns as he gets closer.

_**-xXx-**_

_Ezio slipped through the heavy crowd that filled the cathedral. Shrugging around the dense throngs of people as he made his way to the far wall. The elder Assassin kept his head low, letting his dark hood conceal his face. He effortlessly switches into Eagle Vision, confirming his target, then going back to normal vision. _

_ There was a tiny knob jutting out from the wall. Forgein letters were inscribed on the front of it and, when he looked at it in his other vision, it nearly blinded him it was so bright. Yes, this was it for sure. This would lead to where the Apple of Eden was hidden. Now that he was so close, he could feel it. Something within him stirred at the close proximity of it. He didn't need Eagle Vision to find it now. _

_ The Italian Assassin reaches out, taking hold of the switch and turns it. A section of the wall rumbles and he glances over his shoulder to make sure no one has noticed the disturbance. The section slides away, revealing a narrow passage down into a tunnel. Farther down, he could see a faint, blue glow. Without another minute's hesitation, he slips inside and pulls it shut behind him._

_**-xXx-**_

Desmond rubs his arms, willing away the goosebumps that crawled over him at the closeness of the ancient artifact. He felt dizzy and his head ached from the Bleeding Effect but he pushed on. Turning to the rest of his team, he motions them over.

"The Apple is down there." He tells them.

"Desmond..." Lucy breathes. "You've gotta tells us how you did that..."

He shrugs. "Something I picked up from my ancestors. Now, let's get-" His eyes roll back in his head and his knees buckle. Grayish ghosts race past him and his vision turns into a tunnel, narrowing and bending in front of him.

He feels a pair of hands catch his shoulders and lower him to the ground. Shaun, Rebecca and Lucy hover over him, staring with wide eyes. But Desmond doesn't see them. His mind is elsewhere entirely.

_**-xXx-**_

_Ezio was standing in a wide-open space. For as far as he could see, there was nothing but empty whiteness. Gray shards float through the air, whispering past him but never touching him. Just when the grip of panic began to take hold of his heart, he hears a voice._

_ "It is good you found this place, Desmond." The woman's voice was so eerily firmiliar to him. Ezio turns around, his dark eyes widening at the sight of her. _

_ "It is you again..." The Italian mutters. _

_ Minerva watches his expression, closely from where she stood a few feet away. The Precursor woman looked exactly the same as the last time Ezio had seen her. And, while he couldn't quite grasp when that had been, it felt like a long time ago. She wore the same, flowing robe and gown. The silver headpiece wrapped around her forehead like an ancient tiara. Her silver eyes glinting in the odd light around them. "Once more, Ezio Auditore, I speak not to you. But through you. It is easier for Desmond to speak to me this way, in your form."_

_ Ezio frowns, taking a hesitant step closer to her. "You did this before!" He growls. "But I do not understand what you want from me!"_

_ "And you do not need to!" She barks, temporarily stunning him. "What I need from you, Prophet, is to stay quiet and allow me passage to the one who is listening through your ears. Desmond."_

_ Ezio supresses a growl as he clamps his mouth shut. It just...felt right to do what she said. Something within him told him to listen to her. As if it were instinct to obey this strange woman._

_ She nods in approval. "That is better. Now..." She turns slightly, looking just behind Ezio and not at him. As if this 'Desmond' were standing right behind him. "Desmond," She begins. "I have called you here to issue another warning. You managed to avoid a disaster in the chamber below Monteriggioni. The Templars closed in much faster than I ever would have predicted possible. It is good that you were able to escape them. However, they are coming again. You must gain access to the Temple quickly, otherwise suffer the consequences. Find the Apple of Eden and activate it before the one known as Vidic is able to stop you. He has no more mercy planned for you."_

_ Just then, the world began to fade and Minerva's holographic form flickered. "He will kill you, Desmond. You must use the Apple to stop him. Remember," A flare of light burns in her eyes when she says, "You cannot die, Desmond. If you do, the world will suffer the same fate."_

_**-xXx-**_

Desmond shot up to a sitting position, gasping as he searched the barren field with wild eyes. His hands were trembling dangerously as he tried to slow his breathing and ignore the painful thudding of his rapid heart. It's only then that he feels something...warm on his face. Lifting a shaking hand, he touches the spot just below his nose. The fingers come away red. _A nosebleed?_ He wonders, vaguely.

Just then, Rebecca comes around the corner. She was carrying a white, fabric box marked with a big, red cross. Her eyes widen at the sight of him awake. "Guys!" She calls, loudly. "Desmond's back!"

"Back...?" He asks, marveling at how strained his voice sounded.

Rebecca kneels down in front of him and unzips the first aid kit. Inside is a large quantity of band-aids, neosporin, cotton swabs, wraps, tapes, scissorts, etc etc... She takes a plastic bag from it and removes a tissue, handing it to him. "Squeeze the bridge of your nose to stop the bleeding." She instructs him.

Desmond nods and presses the tissue to his bloody nose. "Thanks..." He says, hoarsely. "How long was I out?"

"Only a few minutes." She tells him. "It's a good thing Lucy caught you before you collapsed. Otherwise, you might have gotten a concussion on top of everything else."

"I'll have to thank her...where are they, anyway?"

Rebecca frowns and glances over shoulder. "Shaun went back to the van to keep watch. Lucy..." She hesiates. "After you passed out, Lucy said she needed to make some calls and has been gone ever since."

"Calls?" Desmond mumbles. "Who would she be calling now?"

"No clue..." Rebecca tells him. She can't help but remember when Lucy had nearly caught her snooping through her computer. Who had she been emailing so frequently? Was it the same person she was talking to now?

Just then, the same blonde woman comes jogging out of the woods. She had a deeply set frown on her face. Her blue eyes were trailing along the forest floor as she made her way back toward the van. She obviously hadn't heard Rebecca announce Desmond's awakening.

"Lucy?" Desmond hauls himself out of the seat of the Animus, still battling the nosebleed when he called out to her.

She turns slowly, looking distracted. It takes a few seconds for her to realize it was Desmond who was speaking to her. And her eyes widen. "Oh! Desmond!" She hurries over. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Light-headed? Nausea?"

He smirks at her concern. "All of the above...is that bad?"

Lucy's frown darkens even more. "It means you're condition with the Bleeding Effect is worsening...I knew we were keeping you in the Animus too long..."

Desmond shakes his head. "It's okay, Lucy. We did what had to be done to find this place. Now, we need to get back in there and find the Apple before Abstergo shows up."

"What?" Rebecca's voice sounded alarmed when she said, "What makes you think Abstergo knows where we are?"

He hesiates for a moment. It would take too long to explain everything and they were already wasting what little time they had. "Call it a hunch. But we really need to hurry. Where's Shaun?"

Rebecca jumps to her feet and runs for the van, shouting for Shaun to get off his butt and come help them.

"Just a hunch, huh?" Lucy's expression held something akin to humor as she watched him. "Your hunches seem to pretty good lately..." She helps him get steady on his wobbly legs.

"Who did you call just now?" He asks, innocently. He didn't want to seem suspicious but...something was telling him he needed to be.

He expected her to brush it off and reply with sarcasm...or something..._anything_ that would disprove his superstitions about her. But instead, she lowers her gaze, looking guilty.

"Lucy?" He asks her.

"It was...your dad." She admits with a sigh.

Desmond felt taken aback. He wasn't sure who he'd expected it to be but...not his dad. "W-what? Why?"

"I just figured, after all this, we'll need a safe place to stay for a while. Lay low, you know?"

"So you asked _my dad_?" Desmond still had many hard feelings left over from his childhood. Growing up on the Farm hadn't been easy, to say the least. And, to make it worse, his father had been the text-book description of a mentally abusive-if not physically abusive-father. William had pushed Desmond to the extreme on a daily basis. Ending their long days on training by telling his young son stories of the evil Templars who would kidnap and kill him if he wasn't strong enough. Desmond could still remember lying awake at night, too terrified to sleep.

So yeah, he still had a little bit of a grudge against his dad. And now, here he was, about to face him again. With a deep, defeated sigh, he muses, _I think I'd rather go back to Abstergo than deal with him after all these years..._


	7. The Apple of Eden

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: Finally getting some action! :D**_

The sense of deja vu was startling as Desmond took his first steps into the Temple. The chamber glowed with dull white and blue lights, emintating from tall spires rising forth from the rocky floor. At the center of the Temple, there was a cylindrical section of ground that was risen high above their heads. Pieces of odd stone glowed, brightly along its sides. On top of it sat the artificat the Assassins had chased after for so long. The Apple of Eden. It glowed a warm golden hue from its perch high above them. Even after all this time, it was still just out of their reach.

Desmond glances around, trying to find a way to reach the Precursor artifact. His trained eye immediately finds one of the spires. It was only inches away from the Apple and, if he could reach the top of it, he could easily jump onto the Apple's pedestal. The only problem was...the spire was at least fourty feet high. No way Desmond was getting up there without some kind of ladder. Even a boost-up from one of his companions wouldn't have gotten him to the top.

"What are you thinking, Desmond?" Lucy asks him. "How're we getting up there?"

He hesitates. "I'll be right be back." He says as he jogs away from them.

Shaun, Rebecca and Lucy watch, expectantly as he finds the shortest spire. It was only about six feet tall. Desmond's height. He could get himself up there with relative ease. The only problem was, where to go from there.

Shaking his head, he decides there must be a way to reach the Apple. So he had to try. Desmond takes a breath, tensing his muscles as he takes a step back. Then, channeling his inner Assassin, he rolls onto the balls of his feet. And jumps.

Before he even knows it, he's hanging off the side of spire and pulling himself up to balance on the thin ledge. His body wobbles, dangerously for a moment but after a while, he manages to relax and he gain his balance.

Shaun whistles, impressed. "Well that was quite a show Desmond. Now, if you can just reach the artifact, we can get going."

"Shut up, Shaun!" Desmond growls. "I gotta focus."

"Pardon me..." The British historian grumbles, sarcastically.

With the chamber silent once more, Desmond turns back to the puzzle before him. About three feet away was another spire, slightly taller than the one he was perched on now. And after that was another taller one. Desmond smirks as his eyes get used to finding the path. They were aligned in a curved fashion. Starting outward, where Desmond was, and spiraling inward to where the Apple was. And beside them were more spires, acting as a distraction to confuse whoever was trying to get the artifact.

_Clever._ Desmond decides with an uneasy grin. _This is gonna take a while._

* * *

"Dr. Vidic."

Warren turns to face who had called him. A young Templar comes racing up behind him, a confident smile on his face. "What is it?"

"We've got 'em. The Assassins are inside a secret chamber below The Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli."

"Do they have the Piece of Eden yet?" There was a sense of urgency in the scientists voice.

The Templar shakes his head. "We can't get close enough to tell without them noticing. Do we have your permission to move in?"

Vidic nods. "I'm going with you...I look forward to seeing Mr. Miles again."

* * *

Lucy's heart thunders in her chest as she watches Desmond leap across the spires. Desmond was strong. He was an excellent Assassin and she didn't doubt his skill but...watching him dangle fifty feet in the air with only an inch of stone keeping him balanced...it was nerve-wracking to say the least.

All it would take was one slip of the foot, one poorly placed step...and Desmond would plummet to straight down to the cement floor. The thought of that was more than Lucy could take. She felt responsible for him. She'd rescued him from Abstergo...she'd trained him to be an Assassin, along with the Animus...if he died now...all of that would have been for nothing. She stuck her neck out to keep them all safe and now she could do nothing but stand there and hope for the best.

And to top it all off, Abstergo was definately coming. She could feel it. And Desmond could too. He's warned them before he'd went to get the Apple. He'd called it a hunch...but she knew it was more than that. Desmond had some remarkable powers that even she didn't understand. So she believed him when he told her that the Templars were closing in again.

She bows her head, unwilling to watch anymore. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sends a silent prayer to any entity, deity or spirit that may have been listening. _Please...please don't let him die...!_

* * *

His legs burn with exhaustion as he leaps onto another ledge. His arms tremble with the strain of pulling his body weight again and again. And, once more, Desmond is reminded just how different training in the Animus can be, compared with actual training.

The Apple's light gleamed, hotly upon its pedestal, only a matter of inches from him. As he got closer, the artifact sent more and more chills down his spine. Every inch he moved, his skin would crawl. He was almost reluctant to touch the thing...but...wasn't that why they'd come here? So they could retrieve it? And, if Minerva's warning had meant anything, it meant he needed to get to the Apple before Abstergo.

None of this doubt showed on Desmond's face. On the outside, he appeared perfectly calm and determined to reach the Piece of Eden. But on the inside, his every instinct was telling him not to get any closer. The Apple wasn't meant for humans. And the closer Desmond got to it, the easier it was to believe that statement was true.

He jumps, landing easily on another ledge. Pausing for a moment to gain his balance, and then jumping again. This time, he lands on that final spire. The one just above the Apple. It was so close...too close. Desmond shudders as another wave of its ancient power washes over him. His mind was buzzing with the closeness of it.

He shifts his weight and takes a breath. _No backing down now..._ The young Assassin leaps through the air, landing on the balls of his feet in a crouched position. His head was bowed. Pushing himself upright again, he lifts his gaze.

"Hold it right there, Mr. Miles."

Desmond's body goes rigid at the sound of his voice. The voice that seemed to haunt his every nightmare. The one that made his stomach churn. He whips around to face Vidic, a look of horror spilling over his hard expression. There were at least fifty of them. Templars were everywhere. A swarm of little red dots flashed all over Desmond's body from the scopes of their guns.

Vidic smiles, sweetly at him from where he stood by the enterance. "Back away from the Piece of Eden...unless you don't mind us turning your little entourage into swiss cheese..."


	8. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Sorry about such a short chapter. But it's goodie in my opinion :D ENJOY!**_

Desmond's eyes go wide at the sight below him. He instinctively tenses, ready to fight off the sudden swarm of Templars that had flooded the Temple, even though he stood a full fourty feet above them. His dark eyes flick all over the room until he finds his team.

Lucy, Rebecca and Shaun were pinned to the wall, face down, with guns trained on their heads. How had Vidic managed to catch them without Desmond hearing him?! The young Assassin curses, softly, at his own negligence. He vaguely heard Lucy swearing at her captors from where she stood against the wall.

"Well, Mr. Miles?" Vidic asks him. "Surrender and we'll let you and your friends live for a while..."

As if to punctuate his threat, he makes a quick motion with his hand, signaling one of his men to drive the blunt end of his rifle into Rebecca's leg. The dark haired woman gasps and throws her head back in pain. Immediately, her pant leg is stained deep red.

"Rebecca!" Lucy cries in terror. "That's enough, Warren!" She barks, still struggling against the strong pair of arms that held her.

"I believe that's Mr. Miles's desicion..." He says with a casual shrug. "So, what'll it be?"

Desmond grinds his teeth together, trying to keep himself from screaming all of the obscenities that raced through his mind. Losing his temper now wouldn't help anybody. _What do I do?_ He glances, sideways at the Apple. He knew if he could reach it, there wouldn't be a battle. He would win, instantly. But if he moved...

Rebecca groans, softly. Her hand moves to cup her bleeding shin.

Vidic would only continue to hurt them if Desmond tried anything. _What do I do! _ He felt his fingers itching to pull the trigger on his hidden blade. Every part of him was telling him to get down there and fight. But, then again, it wasn't often that Altair or Ezio had to face a hostage situation... He simply wasn't used to the feel of it. If he jumped down there and started cutting throats, it wouldn't be long before one of them got a bullet in their head.

"Any day now, Mr. Miles." Vidic sighs. "We don't have all day, you know. So just come down here like a good little boy and maybe we'll spare you _and_ your team."

Desmond growls, furiously but doesn't move. _I can't just let them win...not after all we've done to get here...! _But what else could be done? It was like Vidic said, if he didn't back down, his team would get killed one by one. And Desmond couldn't stomach the thought of that.

That left only one thing to do...

"Fine." He bows his head, raising his arms in surrender.

"Ah!" Vidic laughs, joyfully when Desmond admits his defeat. "Wise choice, Mr. Miles. Now we can finally get some work done." He turns to his men and calls, "Get up there and retrieve the Apple. Bring Mr. Miles down here."

A few of his men dissapear back out the enterance for a moment, only to return with a ladder which they prop against the side of Apple's pedestal. Within seconds, Desmond is surrounded and being ushered down the ladder to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a Templar removing the Apple and hurrying down the ladder as well.

Once Desmond reaches the place where Vidic stood, his captors smash their guns into the backs of his knees, effectively knocking him to the ground at the scientist's feet. He growls, angrily and pushes himself back up to his hands and knees, only to be grabbed by a pair of Abstergo guards.

The Templar that now held the Apple handed it off to Vidic, who smiles wickedly at the sight of it. "You've done us a great service, Desmond." He laughs. "I will admit I was a bit worried at first, after you managed to escape from us...but now I see it all worked out in the end, after all. So...no harm, no foul I suppose." Vidic turns the glowing artifact over in his hands, his gray eyes alight with fascination. "However, no matter how great your contribution was...there is still someone here who deserves even more credit." Warren grins as he turns to the three Assassin pinned to the wall. "Ms. Stillman did her job well, don't you think?"

"Wha...?" Desmond turns to face her as she yanks away from her captors, fussily smoothing her shirt as she strides over to meet Vidic.

"That was all a bit unecessary, Warren. Did you really have to grab me too?" She demands, folding her arms.

"L-Lucy...?" Desmond's shock is mirrored in his teammate's expressions as they watch their close friend chatting with their enemy.

The blonde woman smiles, half-heartedly at them. "Sorry, guys. It was fun getting an inside look at how the Assassins function...I'm sure the rest of Abstergo will be interested in finding out what I've learned as well."

"YOU TRAITOR!" Rebecca shouts, furiously as she pulls at her restraints, ignoring the protests of her bleeding leg.

"Lucy...I..." Desmond was still in shock. His face was almost blank, the only hint of emotion was the confusion in his honey-colored gaze. "I don't..." This didn't make any sense. Lucy had rescued him, right? Why would she have done that if she had only meant to betray them later? Abstergo was about to find the Apple anyway...so why...why would she...?

"I really am sorry, Desmond. But I have ties to Abstergo that I just can't break." She smiles again, innocently this time. "It's just what spies do."

Spies? Lucy was a spy...for the Templars? She'd set them up. She'd betrayed them. Desmond lowers his gaze. He couldn't believe this. He'd trusted her. He'd _trusted_ her! It had all been a lie... Lucy was-

_SLICE!_

Blood gushes over Lucy's arm as she yanks the knife out of Vidic's chest. Her expression was hard as stone when she turned to her shell-shocked comrades. "Get up!" She barks, just as the Templars began to move.


	9. The Assassin's Creed

_**Chapter Nine**_

Crimson blood gushes over Lucy's arm as she withdrew her blade from Vidic's chest. The blonde woman grimaces as she lowers his already cold body to the ground. Vidic's grip on the Apple loosens until the Piece of Eden slips to the floor with a heavy clunk. She turns to face her team.

Desmond, Rebecca and Shaun were staring at her with wide, confused eyes. They had truly believed she'd betrayed them. Now they didn't know what to think. _I've got a lot of explaining to do..._ She decides. Her face turns hard as stone when she syas, "Get up!" The Templars were already recovering from the shock of seeing their boss murdered right in front of them. They were drawing their weapons, preparing to fire.

Lucy whirls around. There were too many... Fifty Templars versus four Assassins. Those odds wouldn't work out in their favor. Unless...

"Desmond!" She barks, dropping into a fighting stance. "The Apple!"

Their newest Assassin still looked shell-shocked when he pulled himself to his feet. His dark eyes immediately find the ancient, golden orb lying at his feet.

"Use it to defeat the Templars!" Lucy snarls as her blade connects with the throat of her opponent.

Desmond's gaze hangs on her for another moment. He bites his cheek, willing himself to focus. He'd figure Lucy out later. But right now, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the Apple. Its golden light beckoned to him as he leaned down...and the moment his fingers brush its smooth surface, a bolt of energy rocks through his body. He sees white and his limbs seemed to move on their own as he straightens up again. The orb in his grasp. The scene around him unfolded in super slow motion while beams of the Precursor artifact's energy coiled around Desmond's body.

Lucy was frozen between two, motionless, Abstergo guards. Her blade connected with her enemy's gun while the other was behind her, preparing to shoot her from the back. Rebecca and Shaun were both, desperately, trying to hold off a large group of Templars that had closed around them. But they were being pushed into a corner. Even Desmond, himself, was surrounded. There were a hand full of Abstergo's men, aiming their weapons at various parts of his head, chest and stomach.

But they were too late. Desmond already had the Apple in his possession. He flexes his fingers around it, savoring the delicious thrum of power that seaped through his body upon contact with the Apple. The Templars had no chance of defeating him now...

_End it, Desmond. _A voice whispers in his head. _Wipe them off the face of the earth. _The Apple pulses, furiously in his hand. Pushing him to take a step forward. _They are the enemy of everything you fight for...Feel no guilt in taking their lives. _Another pulse forces him a little closer. _Unless you kill them all, they will continue to hunt your people down..._ Another pulse, another step. _Your family...your friends...your team...Abstergo wishes to eliminate them all. Do not hesitate or else they will succeed. _The Apple throbs, angrily in his palm. It was impossible to fight it's strength as it pushes him closer and closer to the frozen Templars. _Don't let that happen, Desmond. You can stop it. Kill them before they kill your loved ones! _

Desmond wasn't aware that his, normally dark brown eyes, were blazing the same gold as the Apple. The aritfact's energy roared through his every vein. He felt powerful, unbeatable...like he could rule the world. But at the same time...he felt helpless against the Apple's might.

It drives him to press down on his hidden blade's trigger. The long, ornate blade slides down his forearm, glinting dangerously in the Apple's strange light. The first Templar he comes to recieves it right through his ribcage. And the four Templars around him cripple to the ground under the orb's crushing power.

Desmond turns, his possessed gaze was wicked when the Apple drove him toward his next group of targets.

_Kill them Desmond! _The voice growls. _Destroy them all!_

_**-xXx-**_

_** "**__Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine... These are the words spoken by our ancestors. The wisdom of our creed is revealed through these words." _

_ Ezio bows his head, trying to settle the rapid beating on his excited heart. He and his closest group of companions stood at the top of the tower, a brilliant fire lit up the darkness surrounding them. Why was he so nervous? _

_ "Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember..."_

_ Ezio takes a breath to steady his shaking voice. "Nothing is true."_

_ "Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..."_

_ "Everything is permitted."_

_ "We work in the dark to serve the light."_

_ A small smile creeps over his scarred lips when he says, "We are Assassins."_

_**-xXx-**_

___"Altair..." _

_ The young man knew what his mentor's tone meant. He approached slowly, on silent feet. "Yes, Mentor?" Spread out on the table before him was long, white robe. It was folded neatly, looking untouched. Alongside it was a strange gauntlet, a blade attached to its underside. As well as a dozen throwing knives and a short blade. _

_ "Recite for me the three tenants of our sacred Creed."_

_ Altair hesitates. Why was his Mentor asking this of him? He tilts his head in confusion but does as he is told. His tone is even and well practiced when he says, "Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent. Hide in plain sight. Never comprimse the Brotherhood."_

_ "Yes." Al Mualim nods. "On your most recent mission, you broke all three of the tenants. And because of your recklessness, some of our Brothers are dead."_

_ "Mentor, I-"_

_ "Listen, child." Mualim snaps. "Altair, you are an excellent Assassin. Anyone but you would be executed for your crimes."_

_ Altair bows his head, flinching at the harshess of his words._

_ "However, I do not wish to see any more death or to lose any more of my Brothers today. So, instead, I am stripping you of your rank. From here on out, you are a novice once again."_

_ Altair's body goes stiff at his words but he does not argue._

_ "You see now what it means to disobey the Creed. So..." The Assassin Mentor turns away, gazing out a large window that overlooked the vast mountain side of Masyaf. "Remind me again, novice. What are our tenants?"_

_**-xXx-**_

__"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent...Hide in plain sight...Never comprimise the Brotherhood..." Desmond's voice was but a whisper when he mumbled his people's most sacred laws. "Nothing is true...everything is permitted..." His looks down at the Apple in his hand. He hadn't even noticed that he was still moving closer and closer to his enemies. "We work in the dark to serve the light..."

_KILL THEM! _

"We are Assassins." Desmond wrenches the Apple out of palm and thrusts it against the far wall, finally breaking its spell over his mind. His knees buckle and he sinks, tiredly to the floor. His chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath.

"D-Desmond...?"

He looks up, his eyes widening in horror. Lucy was pressed against the wall in front of him. She was trembling in fear, her blue eyes wide with panic.

"Oh my God...Lucy I'm..." He'd almost killed her. Desmond looks down, just to be sure. His hidden blade was out, pointed in her direction. He'd almost stabbed Lucy! He'd almost murdered her! "I'm so..." He eyes narrow, his vision blurring in front of him. "I...I..."

"Desm-"

The last thing he sees when he collapses to the ground, is the Apple of Eden glowing faintly in the corner. Amongst a pile of dead Templars.


	10. Relic of the Past

_**Chapter Ten**_

"Uhnn..." Desmond groans, rolls over and flops his arm across his eyes to block out the blinding lights above him. His whole body ached. Like he'd been run over by a truck. He squirms at the restless feeling in his legs but doesn't try to get up. His head was pounding; he just wanted to sleep.

From somewhere across whatever room he was in, he heard a door opening. Footsteps echo across what, sounded like, hard wood floors and stop right beside him. He hears a firmiliar sound, typing on a keyboard, and then something touches his shoulder.

He didn't recognize the voice that said, "Desmond, you awake?"

Desmond didn't know how to respond. Was he awake? His head felt strange, like it was full of cotton. He couldn't think straight. His body felt so, increadibly heavy and his eyes ached. Where was he? He didn't even know. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was...was... Desmond frowns. Why couldn't he remember anything?

Finally, deciding he needs answers, he cracks open an eye. The figure that hovered over him looked only mildly firmiliar to him. She wore a dark expression. A mixture of worry and frusteration. But there was something firmiliar about her... Desmond couldn't place what it was.

"Who are...you?" He wonders in a rough, dry voice.

Her eyes widen, slightly. The woman steps back, giving him room. "What?" She folds her arms, shifting her weight in that way women do when they're looking for trouble. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten about me, Dessy." There was a hint of teasing in her voice. Mingled in with immense relief, probably at seeing him awake.

_Dessy? _ No one had called him that since he was a little kid.

She sighs, dramatically. "It's only been...nine years."

_Nine years...that would make me sixteen. Back then, I was still- _His eyes widen. "No way!"

She smirks. "Did you finally remember?"

How had he missed it before?! She looked exactly the same! A little older, yeah, but her features were still... "Grace!" He laughs, amazed that his cousin was here. Alive and well and _here_. He really thought, when he left the Farm, he'd never see her again...

"You know, Dessy, that was a really dick move passing out like that! You know you've been unconscious for three whole days? They had to bring me in because they thought having a member of the family around was good idea..." Her expression turned sad. "They were afraid you wouldn't wake up..."

Desmond frowns. "Grace, I-"

She shakes her head, smiling once again. "Nevermind, don't worry about it, Dessy. I'm just glad to see you again!"

He smirks. "Nine years?"

She nods. "That means...holy crap. You're twenty-five!"

"And that would make you twenty-four." He says, staring at his younger cousin in disbelief. The last time he'd seen her, she was just a roudy fifteen year old. Loud, annoying...how she ever got along so well at Farm, he never figured out.

Her smile turns sentimental when she says, "We really missed you, you know."

He sighs, deeply. "I missed...most of you."

Grace bows her. She completely understood what he meant. Desmond had run away from the Farm, mostly, to escape his father. William Miles was practically a slave driver, especially when it came to his son. He'd driven Desmond to extreme on a daily basis. It wasn't a rare occurance that Desmond came back from practice with more than the...necessary bruising.

But before Desmond's cousin can continue with that line of thought, he interrupts her. "So, where are we?" He asks, looking around in a disoriented way.

She grins, apologetically. "A safehouse." She tells him. "Your team thought it was a good idea to move you somewhere secure until they knew how the Apple would affect you. And, beside that..." She hesitates. "We needed somewhere we could keep an eye on the Templar agent."

Desmond stiffens. "Templar? What do you mean?"

"That woman that used to be a part of your team...Lucy." She says. "She admitted to being a spy, remember? We can't just let her roam about free."

"She saved us!" Desmond snaps. "If it weren't for her, Abstergo would have gotten the Apple!"

"You mean to tell me you trust her?" Grace folds her arms again.

"I..." His eyes narrow and he lowers his gaze. Did he trust her? Lucy had been so good at keeping her secret until they found the Temple and Vidic blew her cover. He'd never once been suspicious of her. There were pleanty of reasons she would have killed Vidic...right? The Templars would do anything to keep a spy on the inside. "I guess you're right." He admits. He still couldn't trust Lucy. Even after she'd saved them. Who knows what her motivation was?

"Of course I'm right." She shrugs, casually.

"Where is she?" Desmond mutters. "Where are they keeping her?"

Grace motions across the room. "There's a holding cell down the hall. You can see her later, if you're feeling up to it. She's been asking about you..."

He nods. "I'll go right-" Suddenly, the world began to spin dangerously in front of him. His vision blurred into one, big color his body goes weak. He feels Grace lower him back into the bed.

"Not now, Dessy." She says, gently. "You're still suffering from the Apple's effects. Just rest for now."

He closes his eyes, trying to combat his sudden bout of motion sickness. "What about Rebecca and Shaun? Are they okay?"

"Rebecca's injury wasn't too bad. Nothing was broken, at least but she's recovering in another room. Shaun is fine. I think he's searching for a airline right now."

"An airline?" Desmond opens his eyes again. "For what?"

"Once we've got everything straightened out here, we're going to New York to meet up with..." She looks guilty when she says, "Your dad."

Desmond doesn't try hide his distaste at the idea. "Awesome." He grumbles.

"You don't seem surprise." She comments.

"Lucy mentioned she'd called him earlier. That was our plan before everything at the Temple."

"Lucy mentioned it...?" Grace sighs. "Desmond, Lucy never called your dad. It was his idea to bring you there."

"Huh?" His looks up at her in confusion.

"We looked through her cell phone. The only person she'd called in weeks was...the Templar. Warren Vidic."


	11. Safehouse

_**Chapter Eleven**_

The holding cell was small. Much too small to get comfortable in. A thin, metal bunk, attached to the wall, acted as a bed. Beside it was a sink and a strange, metal bowl that functioned as a toilet. Lucy was suddenly glad she didn't need to use the bathroom...she was in no hurry to use that thing. There was a single florescent light bulb above her. It flickered constantly, almost like it was _supposed_ to be annoying. Which it was.

At that moment, the blonde woman was laid out on the floor. It was more comfortable than that steel slab that passed for a bed. Her arms were folded behind her head, pillowing her a little. She listened, intently, for any sounds coming from the outside. For hours, there was nothing. Just like everyday, for the past three days. The only time anyone came to see her was when Shaun brought her meals. And once, an unfirmiliar woman had come to talk to her. She'd asked about the happenings at the Temple-which Lucy tried to explain as much as possible-took her phone, then left.

The woman had looked a lot like Desmond, leading Lucy to believe that she was probably a member of his family, come to care for him. But, when Lucy asked her about him, she had only said he hadn't woken up yet and that she was asking the questions, here.

Three days. It had been three days since the Temple. Three days since Desmond passed out and never woke up. Was he okay? Was he even still alive? No one would tell her anything. They thought she was a Templar! Which...yeah, she was. But not anymore! Couldn't they tell by the way she _stabbed_ Vidic and saved them all?! Didn't that amount to anything?

Lucy sighs, heavily and sits up. She was going to lose her mind if she didn't hear something soon. Then, as if on que, she hears the subtle tappings of footsteps outside her cell. She steps back, giving the door room to open. When it does, she is sorely dissapointed that it's the unfirmiliar woman who comes inside.

The woman studies her, suspiciously before saying, "You wanted me to tell you when he woke up." She brushes a lock of her long, black hair from her face when she says, "Well he's awake."

Lucy gasps, not even trying to hide her relief. "Desmond's awake?!"

The other lady nods. "He'll be in to see you soon. Right now, he's resting." There was such gentleness in her voice when she spoke of him. Nothing like how she'd been around Lucy when she'd been her interrogator.

"Is he okay?" Lucy asks.

"He's exhausted but he'll live." A thoughtful look crosses her face before she tells Lucy, "My name's Grace, by the way."

Lucy nods. "You look a little like him...are you related?"

Grace smirks in a way that shocked Lucy. Once again, there was no agressiveness or severity about her anymore. She was speaking to Lucy like they were friends. "I'm his cousin." She reveals. "His mother's side of the family."

"Oh?" Lucy offers a little smile of her own, testing the waters between them. "I guess that means you grew up on the Farm too?"

"Oh yeah..." Grace shakes her head, slowly. "Those were the days..." She mumbles, sarcastically. "If it weren't for Dessy, I probably never would have made it through training day after day."

Lucy clamps her hand over her mouth, snorting with badly suppressed laughter. "Dessy?" She giggles.

Grace's face goes red. "Oh...yeah, I called him that when we were little. I guess old habits die hard."

"Guess so." Lucy nods, still smirking a little over the fact that big-tough-Assassin Desmond Miles...used to be called 'Dessy' by his cousin. "So, I haven't heard much of what's going on out there. Are the others okay?"

"Shaun is perfectly fine. Rebecca's leg was pretty banged up so she's recovering in the room across from Dess-I mean...Desmond's." Suddenly, her face goes very serious. "There's a reason I came to talk to you, you know."

Lucy hesitates. "What is it?"

"Desmond's pretty convinced you're trustworthy. He tried to come see you earlier but he's just...too weak right now. Knowing him, he'll end up forcing himself and that'll only make things worse." Grace mumbles, eyeing Lucy closely. "So I've decided to let you out for a while. Just long enough so Desmond doesn't get himself hurt trying to find you."

Lucy nods, quickly. "You can trust me."

"I wouldn't say that..." Grace frowns at her. "I'll be keeping an eye on you the whole time. So don't try to pull anything because, despite my looks, I am a fully trained Assassin. And if I even _think_ you'll try to hurt my people, I'll cut you down."

Lucy's face was equally as stony as Grace's when she says, "That's fine. I already told you, I'm not a Templar."

With that, Grace steps aside and lets Lucy out of her cell. "This way." The dark haired Assassin leads her down the hall to a door. She twists the rusty knob and it swings open, leading to wide-open area with dark-wood floorboards and brown walls. Baby was set up in one corner, looking lonely without Rebecca hovering over it. And across from it was a desk, stacked high with books and another computer.

_Shaun's area while we're here._ Lucy realizes.

Grace motions for her to follow while she walks to a door on the adjacent wall. Pushing it open, a bright light spills into their room. From inside, Lucy hears the monotonous beeping of an EKG machine as well as the hum of several other pieces of medical equitment.

"This is the infirmary." Grace tells her. "Desmond's in that room, there. I'll wait here to give you guys some...uh, privacy...I guess."

Lucy nods. "Thanks, Grace." Then she hurries across the white-tiled infirmary, which reminded her a lot of Abstergo, and knocks on Desmond's door. At first, she recieves no answer. Then, just when she's about to ask Grace if she's sure that's the right room, a rough, dried out voice calls,

"You can come in."

The blonde's heart sunk just hearing his voice. He must have been in worse condition than she'd thought...After taking a steadying breath, she pulls the door open and steps inside, letting it fall shut behind her.

Desmond was stretched out on a hospital bed. There was a thick bandage on his arm where an IV had been only moments ago. His skin looked oddly pale, despite how tan he was and his eyes were closed. Was he asleep again?

"D-Desmond?" She asks, timidly. How would he react? Grace had said he still trusted her but...

His eyes insantly snap open. The young man only stared at her for the longest moment before saying, "Lucy...?"


	12. Tenant Number Three

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Desmond was shocked, to say the least, when Lucy suddenly appeared next to him. Grace had made it pretty clear his former teammate wasn't trusted. So how had Lucy gotten out of her holding cell? "Lucy..." He mutters, eyeing her curiously. He wasn't sure what to say. _Should I apologize...I did nearly kill her after all..._

She frowns, shifting her weight slightly onto the other foot. "How...are you feeling?" She asks him. "Your cousin said you've been unconscious for three days." A pained look crosses her face for just a moment before dissapearing. "Are you okay?"

He shrugs, non-chalantly. "Yeah, I'm fine." He assures her. "But what about you? Grace said they were...holding you somewhere."

She nods. "They think I'm a traitor."

"Yeah, Grace mentioned that..." There was a long moment of silence after that. Desmond definitely felt like he should apologize...or tell her he trusted her... But did he? Yeah, she'd saved them. But she'd saved him before, and then Vidic revealed she'd only done it because she was a spy. She seemed worried about him...but she _always_ seemed worried. Maybe that was just part of getting them to trust her. He didn't know what to think anymore.

"You don't trust me either yet, do you?" She mumbles, almost sadly.

"I..." What was he supposed to say to that?! "I'm not sure. I'm grateful that you saved us by killing Vidic but...there's just so much we can't prove." That reminds him. "You said you called my dad."

Immediately, she flinches. "I did say that...didn't I?"

"You lied. Why? Who did you really call?" It was Vidic. Grace had told him that before she left. He was testing her.

And she knew it. "Vidic." She admits.

"What did you say?"

"You won't believe me. It sounds too good to be true..."

"Try me."

Lucy moans, running a hand through her tangled, blonde hair. "A few weeks prior to us finding the Temple, he contacted me and said that, when we found the Temple, he wanted to know where it was. So, when we did find it...I called him and told him where it was."

Desmond's bows his head, almost in defeat. He glares up at her. "You think that sounds _good_?" He barks.

"I'm not done yet." She tells him.

"Then finish! You're not making this easy, Lucy..." He sounded uneasy. Almost desperate. Desmond honestly wanted to believe her.

"I know." She says. "After I gave him the coordinates, he told me he was coming-"

"You _knew_?!" This time, it was a different voice.

Lucy turns, quickly to find Rebecca hobbling in. Her lop-sided form was supported by a single crutch. A look of fury on her tanned face.

"You knew and you didn't tell us! That makes you a traitor!" She growls, angrily.

"Rebecca." Desmond's voice was oddly calm. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be walking around yet."

She narrows her eyes at Lucy, a hateful glare, before turning to him. "I heard you were awake. And I was bored so I figured I'd visit...I didn't know _she'd_ be here." She motions, quickly at Lucy.

A small frown tugs at the corner of his mouth. "We're not sure if she'd a traitor yet. Let her finish before making judgements like that."

The technician flops, heavily into one of the leather chairs beside his bed. "Pff, we'll see how it pans out..." She grumbles, no longer looking at the other woman.

"Rebecca..." Lucy sounded hurt. Rebecca was her friend... _How could I let this happen?_ She sighs, shakily. Lucy had been pushed close to tears several times since Vidic first arrived at the Temple. This was one of those times.

"Go ahead." Desmond says, gently. He could see how broken she was. _This isn't easy for her too, traitor or not. I hate it when women cry..._

She nods. "He told me he was coming and I said that wasn't necessary. I told him I had it under control and that getting the Apple would be easier if it was just me. I could...steal it and sneak out when everyone was asleep. Or...that was the cover story at least."

"Cover story?"

Her pale, blue eyes were full of hope when she looked up at him. "I never intended to betray you guys, I promise! I honestly tried to keep Abstergo away!"

"Why?" Rebecca hisses. "What was going through your head when you, supposesly, told Vidic to back off?!"

"I..." Lucy hesitates for a moment. "I guess I was...thinking about you guys. My team. I was...worried you would get hurt if they came."

"You did it for _us_?" Rebecca asks her.

She nods.

The dark haired woman leans back in her chair, folding her arms and glances sideways at Desmond. He could tell, just by the look in her dark eyes, that she didn't believe a word of it. Rebecca truly believed Lucy was a traitor. And, frankly, Desmond couldn't blame her.

Lucy was right. It _did_ sound too good to be true. But then, where did that leave them? Rebecca and Lucy were both, obviously, waiting for him to give the verdict. But he didn't know what to say.

The young Assassin sighs. He pulls himself up to a seated position in his hospital bed and decides it's worth a shot. He closes his eyes. Immediately, he gets a response. A pulse of the firmiliar power jolts through his head, making a sort of 'click' in his mind. When he opens his eyes, the world blazes in the odd shapes and colors of his Eagle Vision. He glances at Rebecca who was staring at him, her expression unreadable. Then, he looks over at Lucy and closes his eyes again.

_Of course it couldn't be that easy..._ He lets his vision go back to normal and tries to figure out what that meant. Lucy hadn't been glowing any color at all. Her form had been as dull and meaningless as the walls or floor. _How could I expect my mind's eye to know if she's good...if my mind doesn't know? _

"Desmond?" Rebecca gently touches his shoulder. "You okay?"

He nods. "Lucy, tell me one more thing..."

"Uh, what is it?" She asks, nervously.

He doesn't look up at her when he says, "What are the tenants of our Creed?"

"Huh?" Both Rebecca and Lucy looked very confused at the, seemingly, random question.

"Just answer me."

She frowns but her voice holds nothing but confidence as she runs down the short list of rules. "Stay your blade from the innocent. Hide in plain sight. And-"

"Never comprmise the Brotherhood." Desmond echos her when she says the final tenant. He glances up at her. "I don't have the authority to make any formal calls...but I do know that, even if you are loyal to the Assassins, you broke that tenant by revealing our location to the Templars. Some of us got hurt because of that. So, for now, the most we can do is watch you. At least until we get to New York. After that..." He shrugs. "My dad will figure it out. He's the Mentor now."

"I guess that's fair." She mutters, staring at the floor.

Rebecca wore a satisfied smile when she playfully elbows him in the ribs. "Good call, Desmond." She pulls herself up and starts to hobble toward the door. "I gotta get back before my pain medication wears off. See ya' later."

Just when the door closes again, Grace strolls inside. "Okay," She looks at Desmond who was sitting up, rather tensely, in his bed. "That's it for visiting hours. Back to the hold, Lucy."

"Okay..."

Grace takes her arm and guides her toward the door. "Try to get some rest, Desmond. Shaun got us a flight in two days, so we'll be spending all day tomorrow preparing for the trip."

"Right. Thanks for the update."

She nods, letting the door swing shut behind her and Lucy.

Desmond lets out a tired breath and lays back down, closing his eyes. _But after that, I doubt I'll be able to sleep..._


	13. Blind and Deaf

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the hold up. This is kinda the final stretch before school and I've been uber busy finishing my the work I have for advanced classes and all. -_- so...sorry.**_

The next day passed in a blur of packing and preparing for their flight. Lucy had been released from her prison cell, by Desmond's reasoning that they needed all the help they could get. Rebecca managed to find jobs that wouldn't put strain on her leg, while still being useful. Shaun and Grace had left earlier in the morning to scout out the airport they'd be using, making sure there were no Abstergo guards working in the area, as well as getting a few last-minute supplies.

"Desmond, can you give me a hand with this?" Lucy calls. She was standing in the bed of their van, struggling to lift the Animus into the back.

"Sure thing." He hurries over and, with his help, they manage to lift Baby, effortlessly, into the van.

Lucy wipes the thin sheen of sweat from her brow and thanks him before hopping down to get more luggage. For once, her long blonde hair was allowed down, no longer in her trademark bun. It framed her face and her bangs feathered over her left eye.

Desmond couldn't help but notice how attractive she was... He shakes his head and also jumps down from the back of the white van. _We still don't know if we can trust her. For all we know, she might still be a double agent for Abstergo. _ He lifts a heavy crate and plops it into the vehicle, silently dreading where it would take them. _My dad'll be there..._ He remembers, frowning at the idea of seeing him again.

After all, it was his dad that had originally driven him away from the Farm. If not for him, all of this could have been avoided... Desmond would have become an Assassin at a young age and the Brotherhood could have found the Piece of Eden before Abstergo even had a chance. It wasn't like Desmond completely blamed his father for what was happening to him. His dad couldn't have known... But it was rather...sobering to know that, if William had been just a little less of a slaver driver...a little more caring...maybe the world wouldn't be in such terrible danger.

"Desmond."

He snaps out of the daydream at the sound of his cousin's voice. Grace and Shaun were just coming into the hideout. She was smiling.

_That's a good sign. _He notes. "Hey, Grace. What's up?"

She jogs over and tosses something to him. "There's been a change of plan. Apparently, ever since you little...encounter with Abstero inside the Temple, the Templars have been swarming all over the place. They've got your names and faces printed on every billboard, computer moniter and telephone pole for miles around. And that's not including the airport itself..." She announces.

"Why do you sound so happy about that?" Desmond grumbles. "That doesn't exactly make it easy for us to get to New York."

She smirks. "You're right, Dessy. It doesn't. But what it _does_ mean, is that I finally get to see my cousin in action..."

The young Assassin frowns, suspiciously. "Huh?"

* * *

"This is not a good idea."

"Do you have any other plans?"

"Anything is better than this!"

"Oh come on, don't be a baby!"

Desmond and Grace continued to argue like this the entire trip to the airport. He had a very bad feeling about her plan and, ever since a very young age, he'd learned to listen to his gut. But she was so adamant about this. And, sometimes, it was impossible to argue with her.

"I'm not being a baby!" He insists. "This just isn't-"

"Oh come on!" She cries. "I heard about some of the stuff you've done inside the Animus! This is child's play compared to those things!"

"Yeah but _real_ lives were never at risk there!" He points out.

"Our lives aren't at risk...as long as we're careful." She shrugs, casually.

"You're insane." He growls.

"No I'm not. Just creative." She chuckles before the van's small window slid open to reveal Lucy's tight face.

"You guys ready?" She asks. "We're almost there."

Desmond nods but Grace doesn't respond. Her dark eyes were locked on the floor, her expression sour. This was the one thing about her plan she hadn't exactly foreseen. Since Rebecca and Shaun were both still trying to get things prepared, it was Lucy who needed to be their eyes and ears on the inside. Plus, she was the only one with knowledge of where they were headed.

They could only hope she didn't steer them into a trap...

"Good," She looks back to the road and continues to drive them toward Abstergo. "Let's go over the plan one more time." She suggests.

"Okay." Desmond says.

Grace grunts but doesn't argue with her. It was true that Lucy and Grace weren't exactly unfriendly with each other...but it was still painfully obvious that Desmond's cousin didn't trust the former Templar spy. Grace had tried over and over to get Rebecca to go with them instead but she'd insisted she didn't know enough about the place to be useful in guiding them once they were in.

"First thing you two need to do is make it through the parking lot, unnoticed." Lucy explains. "The parking garage is attached, directly to the rest of the building so there will always be people going in and out. However, once you get through there and enter the stairwell, it should be smooth sailing.

"The stairwell is for emergencies only so it should be empty. But you'll need to break the lock to get in. Once you get there, turn on your headphones and I can guide you from that point on...but don't use them before that. They'd make too much noise and anyone inside the garage would hear it."

"Right." Desmond nods and glances sideways at Grace.

She sighs. "Okay, got it."

There's a small hesitation before Lucy looks back at them again. "I won't betray you." She assures them. "No need to worry."

"Pff, now I feel safe..." The other woman rolls her eyes.

Desmond only sighs at his cousin's immaturity. But he knew how she felt. He was also a little nervous about wandering, blindly through his enemy's base of operations...with only their former agent as his eyes and ears.

_Let's just hope that what she said earlier was the truth...and we're not being driven straight into an ambush..._


	14. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N: At one point, I use an Italian phrase meaning 'Who's there?'. I'm not sure if it's right...so... I apologize in advance if I'm completely wrong XD**_

Lucy shuts off the headlights of their white van, currently parked in Abstergo's built-in parking garage. Desmond and Grace would only have a few feet to go before they would find the emergency staircase to take them inside...she could only hope there wouldn't be too many security guards in here today.

"Be careful, you two." She whispers as they pop open their doors and slip outside. "Stay on your toes."

"You too." Desmond mutters without looking back. "Stay low, below the dashboard. We don't want anyone seeing you."

"Right." She immediately slides down in her seat so she's eye level with the steering wheel. "Good luck." And with that, they gently close the doors and hurry away into darkness.

* * *

Each time Grace's shoes smacked on the concrete floor of the garage, her heart would jump. It never got easier being this close to the enemy, even after all these years of being an Assassin and all the dangerous missions she'd gone on. And the fact that Lucy was their only link to the outside world didn't make it any better. Grace tried to be sociable with her...humane, at least. But she really didn't trust her. There was just something weird about the blonde woman that Grace simply couldn't put her finger on...

And to make matters worse, Desmond seemed to be wrapped around her finger. Grace wasn't blind or stupid. She could see, as well as, sense how close those two had become. Desmond wasn't the fickle type. If he trusted someone, he would remain loyal to them as long as possible. Until it became painfully obvious they were no longer trustworthy... Her cousin had always been that way. It made him both honorable...and a little naive.

"There's the door!" Desmond whispers, motioning to their far left.

"Yeah, I see it." She agrees.

The two Assassins move easily through narrow spaces between vehicles. Now that they've slowed down to a more acceptable pace, their steps are silent. They are a pair of shadows slipping through the darkness.

Desmond kneels down in front of the locked door and presses the trigger on his hidden blade. It hisses open, gliding down the length of his forearm. "Cover me." He mumbles, sticking the blade into the lock.

"Right." Grace tenses, her fingers brushing the trigger of her own blade.

A few seconds later, there's a muffled 'clunk' and the door swings open. Desmond tells her to follow him and they dissapear inside, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Even Abstergo's emergency stairwell was entirely stark white. The steps were polished and shiny but the fresh wax squeaked below their feet, making Desmond flinch with every step they climbed.

It was pitch black inside the building, save a few dim lights that poured out from beneath every other door. So when Desmond and Grace finally found the entrance to the rest of the building, they knew they were alone.

Both flick on their headphones at the same time.

"Lucy?" Desmond whispers into his earpiece. "You there?"

A small pause follows and then, "Yeah, I'm here. Are you guys in?"

"Yeah."

"Good." On Lucy's end of the conversation, there was the sound of rustling paper. "I've got a map of the building in front of me so I can guide you to where they keep their security files."

"Okay, where to?" Grace asks her, ready to finish so they can leave.

"Uh..." She hesitates. "You guys are in the west wing right now, in front of the fire escape, right?"

"Right."

"Directly to your left, there's a long hall. Take it."

They need no more encouragement to begin jogging, lightly, down the corridor. Their sneakers make only the slightest noise, bringing a small comfort to the pair of Assassins.

"At the end of it, you'll an archway that leads into a big, open room. That's the lounge, see it?"

Desmond has to squint to read a metallic sign above the arch. But surely enough, it reads: LOUNGE. "Yep."

"Inside, there's another door directly in front of you. Through there is the restrooms which will take you to a hallway parellel to where you are now."

Grace frowns at the pair of doors. "Men's room or women's?" She asks.

"Either one." Lucy tells them.

Desmond and Grace glance at each other before he smirks.

"I've always wanted to know what the girl's room looks like."

She rolls her eyes before opening the women's room door and leading them through to the other side. She wastes no time in throwing it open and stepping into the hall. But just then-

"_Chi c'é?_" Someone cries, almost angrily.

Desmond grabs her arm and yanks back inside, not caring that the door has slammed heavily once again. He curses under his breath and they sprint back into the lounge.

"What's going on?!" Lucy demands, frantically.

"Security guard." Desmond growls.

"Great!" Lucy groans. "Hide somewhere."

"Already on it."

They kneel down behind one of the white-leather sofas, making sure to keep their heads low. Desmond's blade is out and at the ready. Grace, however, has her hand hovering just above a pistol strapped to her thigh.

They both tense when the lounge door flies open and two sets of feet come rushing in. The beam of a flashlight zips past them several times as two guards speak in hurried Italian to each other.

Desmond strains to understand them but decides to give up. Now's not the time for a lesson in linguistics. The guards bark foreign phrases at each other and Desmond's pretty sure they have radioed someone on their walkie-talkies. It's only a matter of time before they're found...

He looks at Grace. She had more experience with this stuff than him, right? But she didn't look like she was coming up with a plan. She just looked tense, like she was pondering whipping her gun out right then and there. Then again, that might've been her plan...

He frowns. These people probably weren't Templars. Just innocent people doing their jobs. He didn't want to kill them. They didn't deserve to die for the Templars. Desmond reaches down and touches Grace's hand. When she looks up at him, he shakes his head.

_Don't shoot them._ He can only hope she understood. _We'll wait it out...they might leave._

Almost on que, one of them gets dangerously close to their hiding spot. The guard waves his flashlight directly above them, casting a milky glow on the wall. He turns away slightly and says something to his companion.

Grace looks feverishly at Desmond. She grabs his arm and tugs him forward. They needed to move. If they stayed there too much longer, they'd be found for sure. Desmond obviously didn't want to kill these men, for whatever reason. If that was the case, they needed to move to a new hiding place.

The sofa a few feet away looked to be the primal choice at the moment. If they could just get there without being seen...

"Assassini!" One of the guards bark, jabbing a finger at them from where he'd managed to sneak up behind them, while they were distracted by his companion.

Before either Desmond or Grace can register what's happened, there's the tell-tale click of a magazine beind loaded. A hammer being snapped back. A chamber being cocked...and then...

_BANG!_

_**Italian Phrase: means "Who's there?"**_


	15. Shock

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: Really short one this time. Sorry. But I just felt that this was a good place to stop the chapter... so yeah. Also, apparently today is DOUBLE CHAPTER SUNDAY! :D Enjoy! XD**_

_BANG!_

Grace gasps when the gun goes off but Desmond is already too far in defensive-mode to really notice. All previous thoughts of sparing them are now gone from his mind. He drives his hidden blade right between the man's ribs, jerking upward once before letting him slide off the knife and sink to the ground.

The young Assassin whirls around to face the other guard. His face looks outright ghostly. His skin is pale with the horror of seeing his partner murdered before his eyes. He was no older than Desmond, maybe younger. The young man's hands were already thrust into the air, shaking violently.

"_P-per favore_..." He pleads, desperately. "_Mi risparme_..."

Desmond struggles to translate for himself. "Spare you?" He asks, uncertainly.

The man's eyes light up in recognition. "Y-you speak English?" He stammers. "S-so do I...and y-yes...please..." There were terrified tears in his dark eyes now. "D-don't kill me..."

Desmond hesitates. "Do you know what a Templar is?" He asks.

"T-Templar?" He stutters. "No...I don't think so..."

Desmond sighs. "What do you think, Grace? Do you believe-" He stops midsentence. His eyes widening in horror.

Blood. Blood was everywhere. It pooled beneath Grace's motionless body from where it lay behind the sofa. A gaping bullet wound in her right shoulder.

"GRACE!" He cries out.

_**-xXx-**_

Lucy desperately called out to the both of them from where she sat in the van. The last thing she'd heard was someone yelling in Italian and then a gunshot. "Desmond!" She hisses, her hands shaking. "Answer me! Please answer me!"

Nothing but static.

"Grace?" She squeaks. "Come on! Say something!"

Silence.

Lucy lets out a panicked breath and runs her hand through her hair. _This can't be happening...! _She squeezes her eyes shut, fighting the tears that stung them. _They're not dead...they can't be!_

* * *

"Grace!" Desmond forgets about his captive for a moment. Long enough to sprint over to his cousin's side. He touches her cheek. Ice cold... "Grace?" His fingers move downward, resting on her throat where he desperately searched for a pulse.

Nothing.

He moves again, deciding maybe he'd find it on her wrist. He lifts her frail-looking hand, cradling it in his. He presses his fingers to the spot where there should have been a steady throbbing in her arm. Only to find total stillness.

Behind him, the guard was watching the scene unravel with wary eyes. This man had just killed his partner...was obviously about to kill _him_. But he hadn't...and now it seemed that woman was hurt. If not dead.

Who was he? An Assassin? That's what his companion had called them... But what did that even mean? Where they some kind of terrorists? Slowly, he reaches down for the gun strapped to his waist.

Desmond doubles over, leaning his head on Grace's unmoving chest. How had this happened...? How could he let her die like that...?

Suddenly, something cold is presses to the back of his head.

"I-I don't know who you are..." The gaurd mutters. "But you killed my partner...s-so...I'm gonna have to shoot you..."

Desmond should have moved. He should have reacted in some way. But he felt numb. His cousin was laying, dead right in front of him... He was drawing a blank, frozen in his despair.

He knew he was about to be shot. But he still couldn't move.

_BOOM!_

...

...?

He waits for the pain. But nothing happens. Correction, something does happen. He feels the barrel of the guard's gun slip away from his head. He hears his body thump to the ground beside him. And he hears someone's voice...

"Desmond?" Someone grabs his shoulder. "Oh God...what happened?"

He can't respond. All he can do is stare at Grace's lifeless face.

The person reaches down and touches his cousin's neck like he had before. They don't say anything when they stand up and hurry away to the far wall. Suddenly, light floods the room and there's the sound of glass breaking. The same person rushes back again and kneels beside him.

"Desmond, are you okay?" They ask, quickly.

He still can't find his voice and now the room is spinning, dangerously in front of him. Vaugely, he realizes he'll probably pass out. But he doesn't really care.

The person unzips the bag they'd recieved from a glass panel on the wall. Inside is a defibrillator. Whoever this person is...they seem to know what they're doing. They rub the pieces of the machine together and slam them down onto Grace's chest. Her body jolts before collapsing back to the ground again.

"Desmond!" The person snarls. "Snap out if it!"

He doesn't really hear them. He's too busy wondering why his vision is starting to go dark around the edges...

They run the machine over Grace again. She's jolts and collapses. Again. Jolts, falls. Again. Jolts, falls. Once more. Jolts, falls...was...was she breathing? Was...was Grace _breathing_?!

Grace's savior sighs in relief before turning to Desmond.

"Desmond, can you hear me?" They ask him. "Come on! Get it together. Now is not the time to be in shock, Desmond!"

But despite the fact that Grace is alive. And this person obviously doesn't want him to, he can't help but embrace the heaviness that falls over him. His eyes roll back into his head, and passes out.


End file.
